The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a computer program which can rotate a screen layout depending on a physical rotation of a device.
With a diversification of use of a device, it is demanded to present information to be displayed on a display unit of the device so as to be easily seen by a user depending on how the device is used. For example, a convertible type tablet PC 10 including a display side housing 11 and a body side housing 14 shown in FIG. 13 has a structure in which the display side housing 11 is rotatable by 180 degrees in a state in which the display side housing 11 is opened with respect to the body side housing 14 (see US Patent Application No. 2008/0129666 specification).
The tablet PC 10 can be used as an ordinary notebook PC through an operation for an input unit 15 by causing a surface 11a on the display 12 side in the display side housing 11 to be opposed to the body side housing 14 in a PC use mode (a state (a)). On the other hand, by rotating a coupling unit 13 of the tablet PC 10 (a state (b)) and to fold a back face 11b of the display side housing 11 up so as to be superposed on the body side housing 14 opposite to each other (a state (c)), it is possible to set a tablet use mode (a state (d)). In the tablet use mode, the tablet PC 10 can be used by an operation for a touch panel input unit.
Thus, the tablet PC 10 shown in FIG. 13 can change a direction of the display 12 depending on how a user uses the tablet PC.
In recent years, there is widely used a graphical user interface (GUI) for calculating an inclination of a device based on a result of a detection which is obtained by an acceleration sensor provided on the device and automatically rotating a screen layout to be displayed on a display unit of the device corresponding to the inclination of the device. As an example of the GUI for automatically rotating the screen layout or the like corresponding to the inclination of the device, for instance, FIG. 14 shows the case in which a screen layout of a device 20 is automatically rotated when a rectangular screen provided on the device 20 is vertically long and when the screen is horizontally long.
Referring to the device 20 in FIG. 14, a screen layout A is displayed when it is decided that the device 20 is used with the screen being vertically long, and a screen layout B is displayed when it is decided that the device 20 is used with the screen being horizontally long. It is assumed that the device 20 is used in the vertically long state of the screen of the device 20 and the device 20 is physically rotated in such a manner that the screen is horizontally long in a state in which the screen layout A is displayed on the screen. Consequently, it is decided that the device 20 is used with the screen in the horizontally long state based on a result of a detection obtained by an acceleration sensor, and the display of the screen is automatically changed from the screen layout A to the screen layout B.
Thus, the inclination of the device 20 is detected to automatically change the screen layout. Consequently, it is possible to present information to be easily seen by a user without changing the screen layout by the user.
However, an automatic change in a screen layout corresponding to an inclination of a device shown in FIG. 14 causes deterioration in a convenience in the case in which a user wants to maintain a direction of the screen which is displayed. The inclination of the device 20 is determined based on a gravitational acceleration through an acceleration sensor. For this reason, the screen layout is changed automatically in such a manner that an upper end of the screen layout is typically provided in a reverse direction to gravity.
On the other hand, in a situation in which the user uses the device 20 while changing a posture over a bed as shown in FIG. 15, for example, an inclination of a head portion of the user is changed depending on the posture. For example, when the user is watching the screen in a position on his or her elbows, using palms to support his or her cheeks, in a state in which the device 20 is disposed with the screen set to be vertically long, the head portion of the user is rarely inclined with respect to a direction of the gravity. Accordingly, the user can see information in a screen layout which can easily be seen.
In this state, it is assumed that the user presses the head portion onto the bed with an inclination of approximately 90 degrees with respect to the direction of the gravity, thereby changing the posture. At this time, if the device 20 is also inclined by approximately 90 degrees in order to see information in the screen layout A in the same manner as the situation before the change of the posture, switching from the screen layout A to the screen layout B is automatically carried out corresponding to the inclination of the device 20. For this reason, it is difficult to see the information in a screen layout that the user wants to see. Such situation appears particularly in the case in which the screen layout is greatly varied depending on whether a 2-screen device 30 having two screens 30a and 30b shown in FIG. 16 is turned vertically long or horizontally long.
On the other hand, for example, by providing a hardware button for locking the screen layout to the device, it is possible to offer a function for preventing a change in the screen layout of the device from being carried out. If setting of the hardware button or the like is changed every change in a context to be used by the user, however, the convenience of the device is deteriorated. Therefore, it is desirable that the screen layout can be changed depending on the inclination of the device without the deterioration in the convenience of the device, and furthermore, the screen layout can be changed.